Chris Townsend finds the new Superfeet Adapt Hike Max insoles excellent for trail shoes even after a couple hundred miles.
Superfeet’s latest insoles, the Superfeet Adapt Hike Max, are designed specifically for hiking. They are made from two layers of thin foam with a hard but flexible heel cup and orthotic support plus thick cushioning pads under the heel and forefoot.
Called Adaptive Comfort Technology the combined heel cup and orthotic panel runs from the heel to the midfoot. It forms a deep heel cup and arch support. It’s designed to flex with your feet.
I’ve been using these insoles since last summer and I’ve found them comfortable and supportive, especially in lightweight flexible footwear. For many years I’ve used standard Green Superfeet in medium and heavyweight boots and they’ve worked well. However, the orthotic panel in these is hard and stiff and extends further forward than the ones on the Adapt Hike Max. There’s no flex and I found that they reduced the comfort of trail shoes and flexible boots so I stopped wearing them in these and went back to the flimsy unsupportive insoles supplied with the footwear.
The Adapt Hike Max insoles overcome this problem whilst providing the same support as the Green and I’m delighted to have Superfeet that work in my favourite type of footwear. The thick pads under the heel and forefoot provide better cushioning than the Green Superfeet too.
The double-layer foam in the Adapt Hike Max is also softer and springier than that of the Green, which feels quite hard in comparison. The foam also improves wicking and breathability and is treated to stop odours. These properties work pretty well – the insoles have never become more than slightly damp from sweat nor smelt very much.
Superfeet says the insoles have medium to high arch support. They look similar to the Green insoles, which are said to have high arch support. Either way they support my feet. I’ve worn them in several different trail shoes and lightweight boots and they’ve always been fine.
The Adapt Hike Max is designed to be trimmed to fit, which is easy to do with a sharp knife. My pair of size 8-9.5 weigh 104 grams after trimming. That’s more than twice as much as the insoles that come with most footwear – I weighed several pairs and the average weight was 40 grams – so they do add a little weight to ultralight footwear. They are so superior to mushy insoles that the extra grams are well worth it.
Superfeet says the insoles are designed to last up to a year or 500 miles, whichever comes first, which is the same as the Green Superfeet. I’ve used the last for much longer distances and they’ve been fine. So far the Adapt Hike Max insoles have done a couple of hundred miles. I hope they’ll prove as durable as the Greens. I’ll be using them a great deal to find out. They’re the best Superfeet I’ve tried.
BEST BUY: This product has been awarded our ‘Best Buy’ endorsement, meaning our reviewer believes it to be one of the best items of its kind available.
